Crafty Cut - All Access

Teacher Overview

Encourage children to take a deeper look at 3D solids and the 2D shapes that may be contained within them. Crafty Cuts gets players to spin shapes and slice them to reveal different cross sections. It challenges thinking skills and develops geometric knowledge.

Teacher Review

Maths learning doesn't just have to be about answering questions. It can involve experimentation too. Nor do topics have to be dealt with in discrete chunks. Crafty Cut is an app that encourages experimentation, trial and improvement, and deep thinking. It also does this in a way that combines learning about and experimenting with both 2D shapes and 3D solids.

There are a number of different playing modes in Crafty Cut. They are all well worth playing but the stand out one involves players manipulating a 3D solid and slicing it to reveal a cut surface that matches the target 2D shape. For example, a single cut lengthwise down a cylinder reveals a rectangle or square depending upon its length and diameter. The challenge quickly rises above such easy tasks, however.

One of the other two main sections involves rebuilding sliced solid shapes. This is a touch fiddly but is still a fun and interesting challenge. The remaining section involves fitting 3D shapes through holes. This is more challenging than it sounds as the solid needs to be rotated so that its cross section matches the space. It feels a little more energetic than the other sections and is, perhaps, a touch easier. Younger or less able children might enjoy this section as an alternative to the others.

There is a pleasing fusion of educational concepts in this app. Slicing and orienting 3D solids stretches concentration. The 3D and 2D shapes are accompanied by their defining characteristics when they are shown in the app and the 3D ones can be browsed in their own section. This refreshes and builds students' knowledge of the properties of a wide variety of solids and shapes.

Crafty Cut is both soothing and challenging to play. Its intellectual challenge is overlaid by soft music and a dream-like graphical style that works very well. Despite the challenge, it always feels like the answer is in reach and it has a one-more-go quality that keeps the player hooked.

All of the shapes are easy to manipulate in each of the different modes of play. Moving and rotating the shapes becomes second nature after a while and players can focus on the problems and not the controls. The first few levels of each game are designed to introduce players to the controls and they do this very well. The game will be easy to pick up and play by everyone but solving the puzzles is another matter.

There are a couple of minor issues with the app but none that should put you off from downloading it if you like the sound of it.

Some of the materials of which the shapes are made seem to have a slight graphical glitch where little white squares coat the surface. It doesn't have any negative impact on the game or obscure anything but it does slightly spoil the immersion that the player feels.

From a classroom point of view, there are a couple of things that are less than ideal with Crafty Cut. The first is that the app can only track a single user. As it uses a star-based system to unlock levels and track progress, a device used by more than one child will not be able to provide the same motivation as it will when used by a single child.

Secondly, the app is extended by an in-app purchase. For this review, the app, which is free to download, was fully unlocked. There is also an alternative for schools which could provide better value for money and ease of administration. This is to purchase a rolling subscription from the developer which fully unlocks the other educational games released by them. The app does allow a discount for schools who purchase 20 or more copies of the app.

Parents looking to give their child an educationally constructive app will find Crafty Cuts to be ideal. Schools will wish it that it considered classroom usage a little more so that its other qualities could be better employed. Children will be glad to find an app that is as fun as it is educational.

Subject

Safeguarding

Screenshots

Developer Description

Geometry just got exciting in this addictive and challenging swipe-to-cut puzzle game! Bring 3D objects to life at your fingertips to reveal the secrets hidden within shapes. Explore the relationship between 2D and 3D geometry in four diverse modes of gameplay. The more you play, the more levels you unlock. Engage your brain in this game of skill and strategy. Are you up to the challenge?

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CRAFTY CUT FEATURES

Four modes of gameplay give you hands-on experience manipulating 3D objects in different ways:

Cut Mode: slice and dice to reveal 2D shapes from 3D blocks

Rotate Mode: race against the clock as you explore objects from every angle

Progress through Easy, Tricky and even Fiendish levels - not for the feint of heart!
Ramp up your problem-solving skills and earn stars to unlock harder levels and collect new materials for use in Create Mode.

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